Centering device for car couplers



June 7, 1927.

Ey. 1 l --1 1 1,631,295 A. SMALL CENT'ERING DEVICE FOR CAR coULERs Fi1edNov. 12, 1925 Ey. Z

.jl/fora@ Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR4 E. SMALL, 0F `OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METALPRODUCTS COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

CENTERING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS.

The invention relates to devices for retaining a railway car coupleradjacent the longitudinal -center line of the car. Such a device assuresproper coupling and transmits the impact blow, due to the coupling ofthe cars, directly to the coupler shank and to the draft gear withoutcausing lateral stress in the coupler hea-d or shank, thus reducingbroken coupler knuckles and guard arms. Such a device eliminates thenecessity of trainmen going between the cars to move the coupler to sucha position that it will Couple upon impact with another coupler. Thisfeature reduces accidents to trainmen and also minimizes the timerequired to couple cars.

ln the drawings:

The lett halt of Fig. 1 shows a part oit a railway car with my deviceapplied thereon. The right haiic of Fig. 1 shows a section on line 1-1of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation oit Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is similar to the right halt of Fig. 1 and shows the coupier outof normal position.

The striking casting 1 is attached to the center sills 2 in the usualmanner and is provided with a tread 3. The coupler 4. rests upon thecarriage 5 and is held in the proper` relative position thereto by thelugs 6. An eccentric wheel 7 is pivoted (8) to the carriage 5 to rollupon the tread 3 of the striking casting 1. In normal position, as shownin Fig. 1, the center 9 oi' the radius 10 of the tread wheel is directiyabove or in vertical alignment with the pivot point 8 of the wheel.

VJ hen the coupler (and carriage 5) moves laterally in either directionthe wheel 7 assumes the position similar to that shown in Fig. 3 so thatthe contacting surface of the wheel with the striking casting is not invertical alignment with pivot 8 (it must necessarily be in verticalalignment with `point 9) so that the eccentric load of the coupler andits associated parts tends to return the wheel to its normal positionand to carry the carriage with it; in other words, return the coupler tothe longitudinal center of the car. Y

The tread on the striking casting may be provided with a rack and theeccentric wheel may be provided with teeth which engage the rack toprevent slippage. Any other means to prevent slippage between the ployedpositioned equi-distant on either side of the center line of thecoupler. However, only one wheel may be used at one end of the carriageto return the coupler to its central position and any convenient meansused to support the opposite end ot the car-V riage or a single wheelmay be positioned adjacent the center of the car and the extremities ofthe carriage otherwise supported to prevent the device from tipping.

I claim: l y v 1. A centering device for a car coupler comprising amember provided with a tread, a coupler carriage, and an eccentric wheelpivoted to said carriage to roll upon said tread.

2. A centering device for a car coupler -comprising a member providedwith a tread, a coupler carriage, and an eccentric wheel pivoted to saidcarriage to roll upon said tread and positioned with the center of theradius of the wheel in vertical alignment with the pivot of the wheel.

3. A centering device for a car coupler comprising a member providedwith a tread, acoupler carriage, an eccentric wheel pivoted to saidcarriage to roll upon said tread, and means to prevent slippage betweensaid wheel and said tread.

4. A centering device for a car coupler comprising a member providedwith a rack,

a coupler carriage, and an eccentric gear wheel pivoted to said carriageto engage said rack.

ARTHUR E. SMALL.

